2013 – 1 – GR1 – COM06 – 15144 – 2 Traditional recipe from Portugal:
Pastel de Belém
This egg custard tart is probably one of the most popular desserts. They are from Belém in Lisbon. It has been elected one of the “7 Wonders of Portuguese Gastronomy”. It is served warm straight out of the oven, with a burnt crust on top, a crumbly pastry base and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
Ingredients:
Puff Pastry 600g fresh or purchase 500 ml milk 1 lemon peel 1 cinnamon stick 60g flour 500g sugar 250 ml water 7 egg yolks
Procedure:
1. With rolling pin, stretch the dough into a rectangle. Wrap the dough in a roll, pressing well. Cut dough into slices with thickness of 1.5 cm.
2. Place the slices into the shapes of biscuits, smeared with butter. With your thumbs, start pushing the center of the dough and spread it until the edges so that they become thicker, making the dough more thin on the bottom. Place the shapes on a baking tray. 3. Dissolve the flour in a little milk. Bring the remaining milk to boil, add the cinnamon stick and lemon peel. When boiling, add the flour and stir well. Stir until it begins to boil and turn off the heat.
4. In a pan, bring to boil sugar and water and stir. After starting to boil, let boil for exactly 3 minutes. Add the sugar syrup in a thin milk and mix well. Strain in a colander and let it cool.
NOTE: Leave it to cool until cold.
5. Add the egg yolks with the cream and stir well. Fill the shapes with the cream. Bake in preheated oven at 250 degrees for 17 minutes.
6. Once cooked, unmold. Serve hot or cold, sprinkled with powdered sugar or cinnamon.
ITALIAN RECIPES: Baked Anelletti Anelletti al Forno
An explosion of flavors: Baked Anelletti - the “Sicilian Lasagna” the dish of Sundays or special occasions, could be excellent for Christmas. It is the most popular “pasta bake” in Palermo and it is made with a very specific pasta shape called anelletti (little rings).
INGREDIENTS 1 lbs. ring pasta, 9 oz. ground veal (or a mix of minced veal and pork), 3 cups tomato sauce, 1 medium onion, 1/2 carrot, 1/2 celery stalk, 1 1/2 oz. butter, 6 tablespoons extra virgin oliveoil, basil, 3 1/2 oz. fresh caciocavallo, 2 oz. of grated parmesan, 7 oz. shelled peas, 2 spoonstomato concentrate, fresh parsley 1 bu., 1 large eggplant, seed oil, 3 boiled eggs, 1 smallglass of dry wine, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, sugar TT, salt, pepper TT.
DIRECTIONS
Brown the minced celery, carrot and 1/2 onion in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil; add the minced meat and brown. Add some wine and the peas and simmer for a couple of minutes. Dissolve the tomato concentrate in a cup of warm water: add salt, peppersprinkle with minced parsley and cook at low heat, for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, wash the eggplant; cut off its steam, slice, put in a colander and sprinkle with coarse salt and let rest. After 1 hour rinse, dry and fry the eggplant in abundant seed oil; lay the slices on paper towels to drain excess fat. Brown the remaining onion, in a casserole with oil; add the tomato paste, a pinch of salt, a dash of pepper, a pinch of sugar and a handful of leaves of basil. Mix and cook at medium heat for about twenty minutes. In the meantime, cook the pasta in plenty of salty water; cook al dente and drain, season with the sauce and the grated parmesan ( leave 1 spoonful). Pour half of this mixture in a buttered baking-pan sprinkled with breadcrumbs; cover with the meat sauce. Arrange in layers the eggplants, the sliced eggs and the diced caciocavallo. Cover with the remaining pasta and sprinkle with the parmesan and a handful of breadcrumbs. Top with bits of butter and bake for about 1 hour.
ITALIAN RECIPES: TIRAMISU
“Tiramisu” quite literally means, "a pick me up." One of Italy's most popular, Tiramisu is a rich treat blending the bold flavors of cocoa and espresso with savory mascarpone cheese and rum, layered with lady finger biscuits. At many Italian tables, a meal is often finished with fresh fruit rather than dessert. The addition of dessert to a meal often marks a special occasion. The most popular fare among Italian desserts is undoubtedly tiramisu, a widely loved layered dessert that most certainly fulfills the criteria for a pleasurably dining experience.
INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup (120 ml) brewed espresso or very strong coffee, at room temperature 1/4 cup (60 ml) dry Marsala wine or rum, divided 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 large egg yolks 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, divided 8 ounces (225 g) mascarpone cheese (1 1/4 cups) 3/4 cup (175 ml) heavy cream 18 to 20 Savoiardi Italian ladyfingers (from 7- ounce package) 1 ounce (30 g) bittersweet chocolate or cocoa powder for dusting (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Prepare Coffee
1. Combine espresso (or coffee), 2 tablespoons Marsala wine, vanilla extract and a tablespoon of sugar in a wide, small bowl.
Prepare Filling
1. Beat egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of Marsala or rum, and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water until tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. Use a whisk or, to make things easier, a handheld electric mixer at medium speed. (Do not stop beating until removed from the heat). 2. Remove bowl from heat then beat in mascarpone cheese until just combined. 3. Whip cream in a bowl until it holds stiff peaks. Once the yolk-mascarpone mixture has cooled a little, gently fold in half of the whipped cream into the yolk-mascarpone mixture, then the remaining half just until fully incorporated (the whipped cream will deflate a little).
Assemble Tiramisu
1. Dip half of the ladyfingers very quickly into the coffee, and line the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) square dish. (You might find that you need to break a few into pieces to fit them in the dish). 2. Spoon half of the mascarpone filling over the lady fingers and spread into an even layer. Grate half of the bittersweet chocolate over filling (optional). Then dip the remaining ladyfingers very quickly into the coffee and arrange a second layer over filling. 3. Spoon remaining mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers. Grate more chocolate on top or dust with cocoa powder. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours. 4. When ready to serve, dust with extra grated chocolate or cocoa powder. Leave out at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.
Traditional recipe from Finland: Karelian pasties (Karjalanpiirakat)
Karelian pasties (Karjalanpiirakat in Finnish). Today these traditional pasties are eaten throughout Finland. According to the traditional recipe the pasties are made from a thin rye crust with a filling of rice. Butter, often mixed with boiled egg (munavoi), is spread over the hot pasties before eating. There are also versions with carrot or potato filling.
Karelian pasties are eaten for breakfast as well as snacks. They are also eaten on special occasions such as Christmas, weddings etc. It is fun to bake Karelian pasties together with your family and friends. Each handmade pasty looks unique and tastes delicious.
Ingredients (20 servings)
Filling
0,5 litre of water 3 dl porridge rice 9 dl milk 1,5 teaspoons salt
Crust
2 dl cold water 1,5 tsp salt 3,5 dl rye flour 1,5 dl wheat flour
Moistening 1 dl milk 50 g butter
Egg-butter spread (munavoi)
2 eggs 50 g butter 0,25 tsp salt (optional) 0,5 cans, 125 g, cottage cheese (optional) Procedure
Filling
1. Mix the rice into boiling water reserved for the filling. Boil until the water has saturated the rice. 2. Add the milk and stir the filling for a few minutes. Reduce heat and agitate the porridge. The cooking time is about 40 minutes. Stir the porridge every now and then. 3. When the porridge is ready, it will seem thickish. Then add the salt. Cool the porridge.
Crust
1. Mix the flours and salt into the cold water. 2. Make the dough smooth and pliable by moulding it by hands on a panification support. 3. Shape the dough into a smooth bar and divide it into about twenty pieces. 4. Roll the pieces into balls, flatten them into small cakes and cover them with plastic. 5. Roll the cakes into thin sheets that have approximately 17 cm in diameter.
Baking the pasties 1. Lay porridge on each cake so that the porridge reaches the ends. 2. Pinch the edges together with your fingers. 3. Bake the pasties in about 250-300 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes until the rye crust is brown in colour.
Finishing
1. Moisten the pasties from both sides with hot mixture of milk and butter. 2. Lay the pasties on each other and brew them under a towel and bacon paper. 3. Mix the munavoi ingredients (boil the eggs for 12 minutes) and use it as butter on the pasties.
Enjoy! TURKISH RECIPES: MANTI
Mantı is very popular and common in Turkey. It takes time to prepare, but it’s really worth of your time! You should try it to taste a real Turkish flavor. Preparing mantı is very fun and easy if you make it a team work.
INGREDIENTS:
3-3 ½ cups flour
1 egg 2/3 cup lukewarm water 1 tsp salt to tast
Filling: ½ lb ground beef 1 onion, finely chopped/shredded ½ tsp salt to taste ½ tsp black pepper
For cooking: 8 cups water 1 tsp salt
Sauce:2 cups yogurt 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced ¼ tsp salt to taste 3-4 tbsp butter/oil 1 tbsp tomato paste/2/3 tsp paprika 2-3 tbsp water Dried mint Sumac
DIRECTIONS :
In a bowl place the flour, crack the egg and add the salt and water. Then knead till you get a firm and smooth dough. Knead for about 8-10 minutes. Make sure to make it firm to flatten easily later. Cover it with a damp towel or cloth and leave for a rest (15-30 minutes). Meanwhile in a plate mix all the filling ingredients and set aside. Divide the dough into 2-3 pieces, take one piece and place on the floured counter. Cover the rest of the dough. Then with a rolling pin flatten the dough as thin as you can (as thick as the ridge of a knife). Then, cut it with a knife or roulette into ¾ inch (1 ½-2 cm) square pieces . Then place ¼ tsp filling over each square . Then stick the both traverse edges diagonally, by pressing with your finger tips . Do the same procedure for the remaining dough. For cooking, boil the water in a big pot and add salt. Then add all the manti into the boiling water. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent them sticking to each other. Make sure not to close the lid. Cook over medium heat till manti gets soft (for about 10-15 minutes). Meanwhile prepare the sauce. In a bowl mix yogurt, salt and garlic. In a small pan; melt the butter/oil and stir in tomato paste and water. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat. If you prefer using paprika, just add paprika into melted butter/oil and turn the heat off after one minute. Do not add water while using paprika. Drain the cooked manti and transfer it into serving plates. Let it cool for a while and pour the yogurt sauce over. Finally pour about one tbsp of butter/oil mixture all over (adjust the amount as you like). And if desired sprinkle some dried mint and sumac over the Turkish Dumplings. This recipe makes 6-7 servings.
ENJOY!
Sweet bread (Cozonac )
We present a traditional sweet bread ( Cozonac ) . The recipes differ between regions this is only one of the multitude of receipts, we can say that every romanian familly has a recipe. The pan shape symbolizes the coffin and the braided sweet bread is Jesus Christ's body. The pan shape it is circular/ like a ring for weddings or christening and also for a baby first anniversary (1 year old). The ring shape means "life". Also, for Easter another kind of traditional bread it is PASCA. This kind of sweet bread have inside ricotta or another kind of romanian cheese and it is baked in a circular shape and marked with a cross.
INGREDIENTS:
Before we start all the ingredients must have the same temperature and all the windows must be close , the room ( kitchen must be warm ) because the cold air could damage the dough.
1 kg flour OO 200 gr sugar 125 gr butter+ oil 3 yolks 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon salt 400-500 ml milk 25 g fresh yeast a little grated lemon peel 50 gr raisins
DIRECTIONS:
- prepare the dough starter: mix the yeast with 2 teaspoons sugar add 100 gr flour and 100 ml milk and cover with a cloth, leaving it until it rises - mix de rest of milk ( warm) with the rest of the sugar ( to dissolve it) - mix all de yolks (4 ) with the salt -take a larger bowl and place th flour, the warm milk ( with sugar), the egg white, the yolks (with salt) and dough starter (after it rises). And knead, adding the melted butter combined with oil, a little at a time, until the dough starts to easily come off your palms butter and oil the dough must be kneaded until air bubbles can be seen in it.. Add the raisins ( after we keep it in Rhum or in warm milk) and knead again. Cover with a cloth. Leave in a warm place to double in bulk. If during kneading the dough seems too hard, you may add a little milk. If, on the contrary, the dough seems too soft, you may add a little flour. - when the dough has risen well, divide it in two parts. The first part divide it again in two, roll a sheet of dough about one finger thick and roll it. Make the same with the second. After that fold the two rolls together into a rope (braid the two pieces together) - the baking pan ( it is similar with the plumcake baking pan ) the baking pan should be previously greased with butter or covered with the baking paper. Fill only 1/3 or 1/2 of the pan with dough. Cover and leave in a warm spot until it almost fill the whole pan. - before put it in the oven wash the surface with egg or only yolk or put sugar . - first bake at high temperature until the dough rises, then decrease the temperature at medium. On the average, it should be baked for 1 hour or less ( depend of the dough quantity). When the sweet bread is ready, remove from the pan, place on a towel, cover with a blanket and let it cool off slowly in a warm place. - we can divide the dough in 3 or 4 and rolls together into a rope . Or we can roll only a sheet of dough, roll it and put in the pan ... we can fill it with cacao, chocolate, walnuts, poppy seeds, Turkish delight, in this case should be fill like a roll ( don' mix this into the dough ).
APPLE PIE (Szarlotka)
Apple pie called Szarlotka or Jabłecznik is a very popular traditional dessert in Poland. It's made from sweet crust pastry and spiced apple filling. It can be topped with kruszonka (crumbles), meringue or just dusted with caster sugar. An additional layer of budyń (a polish variation of custard) sometimes can be found. In restaurants and cafes usually served hot with wiped cream and coffee.
Ingredients: Pastry for 2 crusts 8 cups sliced, peeled assorted baking apples 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 3/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 Tablespoons butter 1 egg yolk 1 Tablespoon milk
Directions: 1. In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice. 2. Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apples and toss well to coat. 3. Fill pastry lined 9 inch pie pan with apple mixture. Dot with butter. 4. Place second crust on top of pie filling, cut slits in top of crust to vent. Seal the edges of the crust with a fork or by hand. 5. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk and milk. Brush mixture over top crust. 6. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. 7. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 40-45 minutes more or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.
*Tips for coring and slicing an apple for equal-sized pieces:
1. Peel first. 2. Hold the apple upright, try to judge where the core is, and slice off two opposite sides as close to the core as possible. 3. Rotate the fruit and slice off the two remaining sides to get a rectangular core piece and four flat-sided pieces of fruit (two wide and two narrow). 4. The side pieces now lie obediently on your cutting board for slicing or dicing
Spanish omelette
INGREDIENTS
300ml olive oil 1 medium onion, finely sliced 600g waxy potatoes such as Jersey Royals or Charlottes, peeled, halved and cut into thin slices (like thick crisps) 6 medium eggs, beaten Salt and pepper 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium flame, add the onion and cook gently for 20 minutes until soft and brown. Rinse the potato slices under cold water and pat dry. Add the potato to the pan – if it seems overcrowded, you can cook them in a couple of batches. Cook until the vegetables are tender and on the point of falling apart, then drain well, keeping the oil for your next omelette.
2. Add the potato and onion to the beaten eggs, season well, and leave to stand for 10 minutes, or longer if you prefer a stronger onion flavour.
3. Put a smaller pan (about 22cm) over a medium heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. Turn to coat, and then, when hot, add the mixture – it should almost fill the pan. Cook until it comes away from the edge of the pan, and looks about two thirds set.
4. Place a plate, or a saucepan lid, over the pan, and invert it so the tortilla flips on to the plate. Slide it back in, tipping any liquid egg in with it. Cook until it is springy to the touch: be careful not to overcook it: it should still be moist in the middle, even if you prefer it cooked right through. HUNGARIAN RECIPES: Gulyàs
INGREDIENTS 1dl red wine, 2 big onions, 2 garlic cloves, 1Ts red paprika, 2 carrots, 2 turnips, Salt, Grinded cumin.
DIRECTIONS
(preparation time: about 2 hours)
Wash the beef and clean it from the fat than cut it in bites. Chop the onions and the garlic. Heat the oil and fry the onions and the garlic in it. Take off from the flame and sprinkle the red paprika over it. Add the meat to it and put it back the flame. Cut the tomato and the pepper in small pieces and add to the meat. Pour 1 dl red wine and add the salt and pepper. After that cover it and stew it. Give a little water to it when it boiled away the gravy. When the beef half way cooked add all the sliced vegetables to it and pour as much water to it as it makes it soup like. Cook it until it gets perfect for your taste.